Here's How Loop's Baby Gear Rental Service Works

As most parents know, with a baby comes a lot of expensive gear that gets used for a few months before getting tossed into storage or a constantly growing donation pile. Between strollers, high chairs, bouncers, carriers, and more, products are usually pricey, they’re often bulky, and if they’re just thrown out, they create more waste, and that’s why Loop was created. Loop offers high-end baby gear rental in certain locations in the United States where they also provide delivery service and one-on-one customer support. Basically, through this company, you can stock up on what you need, when you need it, and easily return it when you’re done.

What is Loop and how does it work?

Loop launched in the Bay Area in California in early 2021 and has since expanded to serve customers in New York City and Brooklyn (and have plans to continue to add more cities to their roster). While the concept of renting baby gear isn’t new — companies like BabyQuip, rents4baby, and Baby's Away have been around for a while — Loop does things a little differently than its competitors.

The majority of their inventory comes directly from the manufacturers that they have relationships wit. A very small percentage comes from pre-owned products from families, and if they do agree to accept a used product, it must meet a variety of high standards (basically be new or very gently used). They also provide one-on-one consultations with families to help them figure out what they need, schedule rentals months into the future, and set up in-person delivery and assembly (which usually takes 1-2 weeks from the time of booking). Finally, there’s no limit to how long you’re allowed to rent a product, and if you decide to keep it longer than intended, Loop will stop charging you a rental fee once you’ve paid as much as the retail cost of the product. You will have to return it eventually, but you won’t have to feel rushed.

What can you rent?

Loop only works with a handful of companies, and they are picky about who they work with (in a good way). They only partner with companies that offer durable, high-quality products, and since their mission is to reduce waste, they favor brands that are mindful of sustainability. Some of the manufacturers they work with include Grimes, Lilian river, Plan Toys, Manhattan Toys, Snoo, Milton and Goose, and Lovevery. While they don’t rent out car seats or cribs (bassinets are an exception) for safety reasons, you’ll find strollers, baby carriers, swings, bassinets, baby monitors, and more from high-end companies like UPPAbaby, BABYZEN, Baby Brezza, and Ergobaby.

If there is a product a customer would like to rent, but it’s not in stock, then Loop will reach out to the manufacturer directly to get it to them. Additionally, members have the option to recommend brands to Loop, and if there’s a highly-desired product that they don’t already carry, they’ll try to work something out with the manufacturer to make it available to their customers.

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How much does Loop cost?

There are two ways to sign up for Loop, with either a monthly or annual membership. Annual memberships are $15 per month, billed annually at $180 (a $120 saving). Monthly memberships are $25 per month ($300 per year), billed monthly. A membership gives you access to the full catalog of products to rent, offers you a certain number of drop-off/pickups a month (2 if you’re on the monthly plan, unlimited if you’re on the annual plan), and other perks like discounts and expedited delivery (for annual plan members).

Once you have your membership, then you can start renting gear from their inventory. Strollers cost anywhere from $21 to $130 per month, sleep gear ranges from $14 to $139 per month, and travel products start at only $11 per month. You can also rent feeding equipment, like a bottle sterilizer and dryer for $16 per month, baby monitors, such as the Nanit Pro for $41 per month, and baby and toddler toys (a balance bike for $11 a month and this toy cleaning set for $9 a month, just to name a couple).

Quality and safety

Since you’re renting these products, chances are high they’ve been used by someone before you, but Loop has strict cleaning processes to ensure your product arrives in like-new condition. Everything is thoroughly washed, wiped down, and sanitized after it is returned from a family. Before something is shipped out to a new customer, Loop goes through to make sure all parts are working and included, and if something gets lost or breaks while a customer is renting it, Loop will replace it at no cost.

Since recalls are not at all uncommon when it comes to baby gear, Loop stays on top of them for the customers, so they will alert you right away if you have something that’s been recalled. They’ll come out and pick up the product from you and help you find a replacement as quickly as possible.

Renting baby gear certainly isn’t for everyone, but there are plenty of reasons to give it a try (like saving money, avoiding clutter, and reducing waste), so if you live in area where baby gear rental services are available to you, it’s worth it to learn more about what they offer.